The Eye of God: A Sigma Force Novel

Genghis Khan was a fascinating and bloody figure, who conquered most of the known world at the time, and his legacy lives on today. Geneticists have determined that 1 out of 200 men living in the world today are genetic descendants of the Great Khan (and this rises to 1 out of 10 in Mongolia). It seems multiple wives and conquering so many countries leaves it mark—at least genetically.

I was fascinated that both of these men died and were buried with great wealth—yet their treasure-filled tombs vanished into history. I knew there was a story to tell. I was also intrigued by a mystery that still confounds historians concerning Attila. In the middle of the fifth century, Attila was about to sack Rome. There was no way to stop his marauding horde. Then the pope rode out from the city with a small entourage and met with Attila in secret. After that meeting, Attila turned away from certain victory and left Italy. What was said at that secret meeting to turn Attila away remains unknown. Until now.

It’s fairly accepted that St. Thomas traveled to India, but there remains some intriguing speculation that his journeys may have taken him as far as China, maybe even Japan. In the book, I also demonstrate a strange connection between the Chinese language and its odd correlation to Biblical stories. All of this is based on real information—though I leave it to the readers to decide if such correlations are mere coincidences or in fact valid, hinting at some ancient lost knowledge of the Book of Genesis.

They’re actually all real. Archeologists have uncovered more than two thousand Jewish incantation bowls, dated to the third century. But they’ve also found a few such skulls used for the same purpose, as a warding against demons or for the casting of spells. Two can be seen at the Berlin museum. And in regards to the binding of books in human skin, that was real, too. Some rare books have been found to even include nipples or people’s faces. They range from astronomy treatises to anatomic texts, even including some prayer books. But the strangeness doesn’t stop there. French prisoners during the Napoleonic wars used to craft boats out of human bones and sell them to the British. But then again, I guess everyone needs a hobby.

It is indeed. Over a thousand people have had rare-earth magnets implanted at the edges of their fingertips, that vibrate in the presence of electromagnetic fields. It allows them to experience electrical fields in amazing ways. Those I’ve interviewed describe these fields as having texture, shape, rhythms, and even colors. They can sense the flow of electricity through wires, or “feel” a hard drive that is malfunctioning, or even diagnose a misfiring carburetor. It opens up an entirely new way of experiencing the world. And once accustomed to them, it’s apparently hard to go back. Many say they feel blind without them. It definitely is a new world.

I love making my books feel real and “of the moment.” I was also fascinated to learn that the comet—designated Comet ISON—will be the brightest comet to light the night sky in over several millennia. It will be so bright that it will be seen even during the day. I also love how, throughout history, comets have often been harbingers of doom, said to predict the bubonic plague of Europe, the Battle of Hastings, even the death of Mark Twain. And it believed the appearance of Halley’s Comet in 1222 was a major inspiration for Genghis Khan’s decision to head west and conquer much of the known world. So surely the arrival of such a bright comet as ISON this year must be equally significant—and dare I say, earth-shattering.

I was—and it certainly added that timely quality to the novel. It’s a prime example of the unpredictability of near-Earth objects (or NEOs) striking the planet. NASA has currently identified over ten thousand NEOs, but that number is only the tiniest fraction of what’s out there, including what exploded over Russia. That asteroid had the potential kinetic energy of about thirty atomic bombs, but as it exploded in the upper atmosphere, it lost most of that energy before the pieces struck the ground. Still, the shockwave from that midair blast blew out windows and injured over 1,500 people. And it’s not just meteors that are a risk. Comets themselves pose a threat. In fact, sometime next year a comet is due to strike Mars.

According to the physicists I visited with at Fermilab outside of Chicago, the answer is likely YES. I learned that the entire universe might be a hologram, a three-dimensional construct based on equations written on the inner shell of the universe. Researchers at Fermilab are currently constructing a Holometer, a device to prove this theory to be true. Likewise, theories of multiple universes already abound, with many different conjectures about how those other universes function, interact, and relate to one another. But the most common consensus by theoretical physicists is that they do exist.

According to the physicists I visited with at Fermilab outside of Chicago, the answer is likely YES. I learned that the entire universe might be a hologram, a three-dimensional construct based on equations written on the inner shell of the universe. Researchers at Fermilab are currently constructing a Holometer, a device to prove this theory to be true. Likewise, theories of multiple universes already abound, with many different conjectures about how those other universes function, interact, and relate to one another. But the most common consensus by theoretical physicists is that they do exist.

Just to offer one example of how unreal reality is (to quote physicist Brian Greene): “If you remove all the space within the atoms making up the human body, every person that’s ever lived would fit inside a baseball.” That’s how little of the world is solid and tangible.

I don’t know if belief is the correct word—but I hope it is. It’s an intriguing supposition that I don’t believe has ever been broached before. Yet, it seems so obvious when you look at both the science and philosophy of the world. I’ve already received word from an early reviewer who found much comfort in this new view of the afterlife offered in this book. I hope many others do, too.